64 THE BAIfUjrCTJLUS FAMIIT. 



In marshy places, the sides of brooks, etc., throughout Europe, northern 

 and central Asia, and northern America. Abundant in Britain. PL spring, 

 commencing early and often lasting till summer. A small mountain variety, 

 with a more decumbent stem, rooting at the joints, and a smaller flower : 

 has been described as a species, imder the name of C. radicans (Eng. Bot. 

 t. 2175). 



yni. TROIiIilUS. TEOLLITTS. 



Perennial herbs, with divided leaves and yeUow flowers. Sepals 5 to 15, 

 large and coloured like petals. Keal petals about as many, small, huear, 

 and flat. Stamens numerous. Carpels several, with several seeds in each. 



Besides our species, the genus comprises but very few, aU from northern 

 Asia or America. 



1. Globe Trollins. Trollius europsens, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 28. Globeflotcer.) 



A glabrous, erect plant, 1 to 2 feet high, the stem simple or nearly so. 

 Radical leaves not unlike those of the meadow Ranunculus, palmately divided 

 into 3 or 5 segments, which are again lobed and cut. Stem-leaves few, 

 smaller, and nearly sessile. Flowers large, of a pale yellow, with 10 to 15 

 broad concave sepals converging into a kind of globe, usually concealing the 

 petals, stamens, and carpels. 



In moist woods and mountain pastures, in northern and central Europe, 

 and in the great mountain ranges of the South to the Caucasus. Not a 

 common plant generally in Britain, yet pretty frequent from Wales to the 

 Grampians, and in Ireland. Fl. summer. 



IX. XXEZiLEBORE. HELLEBORUS. 



Perennial herbs, with pahnately or pedately divided leaves, of a paler 

 green and more rigid than in most other Eanunculaeeous plants. Sepals 5, 

 large, greenish (in the British species), remaining till the fruit is nearly 

 ripe. Real petals 8 to 10, very small, tubular, 2-lobed at the top. Stamens 

 numerous. Carpels several, rather large, each with several seeds. 



A well-marked eenus, but not numerous in species, chiefly south Euro- 

 pean and west Asiatic. 



Flowers many, in a large panicle, with large ovate bracts. Sepals converging. 2. Fetid H. 

 Flowers usnally 3 or 1. Sepals spreading 1. Green H. 



The Winter Aconite of our gardens, wliich has been occasionally met with 

 in England, apparently wild, but probably only the remains of cultivation, 

 was formerly considered as a species of Hellebore, but now forms the genus 

 JEranthis. It is a small plant, with narrow, petal-hke, yellow sepals, sur- 

 rounded by an involucre of green, divided leaves. The white Christmas 

 Rose is a true Hellebore {H. niger), from south-eastern Europe. 



1. Green Hellebore. Helleborus viridis, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 200.) 



Radical leaves large, on long stalks, divided into 7 to 11 oblong, acute, 



toothed segments, 3 to 4 inches long, the central ones free, the lateral ones 



on each side connected together at the base so as to form a pedate leaf. 



